STAR BUSINESS REPORT

Bangladesh and South Korea explored new avenues for cooperation in infrastructure, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital transformation at the opening day of the AI-ICT & Infra Roadshow 2026 in Dhaka yesterday.

Organised by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) in Dhaka, which operates in cooperation with the Korean embassy in Bangladesh, the two-day event is being held at the Renaissance Dhaka Gulshan Hotel.

Jinhak Hur, director general of KOTRA Dhaka, said that by connecting Korean companies directly with Bangladeshi authorities and private-sector partners, this programme had created a practical channel for discussing infrastructure modernisation, digital transformation, technology transfer and long-term partnership.

Around 40 Korean companies and representatives from 22 Bangladeshi government agencies and organisations are participating.

The inaugural session yesterday was attended by Kabir Ahmed, chief (additional secretary) of the physical infrastructure division at the Bangladesh Planning Commission, and Kim Ji-joon, the Korean ambassador to Bangladesh, along with senior government officials, business leaders and industry stakeholders.

The roadshow aims to connect Korean technological expertise and engineering capabilities with Bangladesh’s development priorities in sectors such as transport, power, water, smart cities, digital government and industrial modernisation.

The opening session featured presentations by several Korean firms. Kim & Chang and CODEVISION jointly presented solutions to help Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector comply with upcoming European Union regulations, including the Ecodesign for sustainable products regulation (ESPR) and digital product passport (DPP) requirements.

CODEVISION also showcased AI-powered data and agent solutions designed to support digital compliance.

Other presentations included advanced asphalt and road-pavement technologies from INSUNG, cybersecurity solutions from eNsecure, and railway communication and transport technologies from TRAGEN.

In the afternoon, participants joined parallel infrastructure and AI-ICT breakout sessions. Discussions covered water supply, sewerage systems, mass rapid transit, bridges, power generation, railway development, cybersecurity, geospatial information systems and digital public services.

One-to-one consultations between Korean companies and Bangladeshi authorities were conducted through 13 meeting tables with real-time interpretation support.

Organisers said the consultations were designed to facilitate project-level discussions and identify potential areas for future collaboration.

The roadshow will continue on Tuesday with business-matching sessions between Korean and Bangladeshi private-sector companies, aimed at fostering partnerships, technology transfer and new investment opportunities.